Nothing Exists Independently — Jone Victoria — May 5th 2009

You are born as a witness to changes of Nature, in turn, Mother-Earth, known by many names will witness your life as well.

All humans are connected to their immediate environment upon birth. The first connection outside the womb is light, followed by sound. As a baby’s sight strengthens they take notice of any movement – trees outside of a window, or they follow the sound of a buzzing insect with their eyes.

What sophistication, in our desire to get older or accumulate riches, do we supplant to eliminate the awe factor of our youth?

Today I thought about how easy it is to be the child again; to re-connect with nature, no matter where you live. If you live in the city is there a park or boulevard that envelops you with a scenery of trees, flowers, or a body of water?

If you live in the desert is there a place of solitude to use for inner stillness as you gaze upon the painted layers of the Earth’s mesas or witness soaring birds?

If your environment is one of snow and ice is there a night sky filled with dark clarity to reveal the heavenly stars? Is there Sun during your day to reflect the hues of a prism in the snow?

If your surroundings are mostly filled with rain, what’s to keep you from sitting in your backyard to realize the infinite shades of green?

All of nature feeds us. We are connected by the air we breathe, the ground we walk upon, and the food that sustains us.

In mindful living, there is a simple way for our Soul to be constantly nurtured. It’s called observation.

Mind chatter is set free when observing nature. Observation slows the mind chatter so new perspectives and insights flow gently, like a cool breeze into our over-heated mind.

If you feel the restlessness of dissatisfaction within your life, allow Nature to heal you with her gifts.

Put out a few pieces of fruit, bread or seeds to coax birds from their hiding places. When they come to eat, be still and just observe.

Relax your mind in watching a spider spin her web, or a butterfly drinking nutrients from a flower.

Place some metal pans outside when it rains and listen to the music of Nature.

Observe any insect in their daily task of foraging.

Sit and observe any flower as it turns its face to follow the Sun.

We are all sharing space, and resources on this planet. Seek true beauty in each day by simple gestures. Co-exist with Nature – she has much to teach her dependent children.

Jone was one with Nature, she appreciated and honored all living things! Actually she felt the spirit of the Earth, Rocks Water, and Weather. She regaled in Nature’s gifts to all of us, the ocean, woods, rocky trails, and especially those areas she called her own — quiet glens, or circles of stone, or the sound of waves crashing upon a rocky coast. She absorbed the majesty and grandeur wherever she found herself, on a busy city street, on an airplane 30,000 feet above Earth, under an overpass, in a dark occult book store, Jone would find a hint of Nature’s beauty in a sound, smell, feeling or sight that inspired her. She was at her most alive I think, when she was in a natural setting with all of the cacophony of Nature’s rhythms and breathtaking images. She was a keen observer of life, of people, of beauty and even the mundane. Indeed she could find eloquence in a blade of grass, a rock or a simple dandelion.

I think her observation of a child-like awe is so right on! A baby sees everything as a new shiny penny — no matter how unimposing an item, in a child’s eye it can be magical, interesting, amusing, useful, or just fun to play with. There is no modification as to monetary value, day-to-day usefulness, necessity, or beauty — it’s just new and interesting — something to be observed! I also sometimes think how wonderful it is to be able to tap into our own inner-child where everything is new, bright and shiny!